This graphic autobiographical novel delves into the challenges of taking care of elderly parents. Chast shares her experience with her elderly parents, George and Elizabeth, as they decline in health through a mix of cartoons, text, and photographs. The themes of ageing, family dynamics, and the emotional toll of caregiving are described in great detail. This book was on the list of the “Top 10 funny comic books”. Even though full of dark humour, this poignant account of the complexities of love and the inevitable loss of parents doesn’t qualify as funny for me. It’s nevertheless a beautifully illustrated and very touching story.
“I wish that, at the end of life, when things were truly “done” there was something to look forward to. Something more pleasure-oriented. Perhaps opium, or heroin. So you became addicted. So what? All-you-can-eat ice cream parlors for the extremely aged. Big art picture books and music. Extreme palliative care, for when you’ve had it with everything else: the x-rays, the MRIs, the boring food, and the pills that don’t do anything at all. Would that be so bad ?”
